In June 2016, three final-year students from Rose Bruford College’s BA (Hons) Creative Lighting Control programme did something unexpected with their graduate exhibition. Rather than simply presenting their work at the New Theatre Contemporaries show at London’s Bargehouse, Matthew Kemp, Andrew Bruce and Joseph Lott used the occasion to launch a company.

That company was Quantum Creative. A decade later, their portfolio includes lighting and production design for international music touring, award ceremonies at London’s Roundhouse, broadcast television, brand events, and theatre. They run their own design studio in Surrey, complete with industry-standard pre-visualisation facilities. They have been featured in TPi, one of the live production industry’s leading trade publications. And it all started at a graduate show in a converted warehouse on the South Bank.

On the road

Music touring is at the heart of Quantum Creative’s work. Their homepage and social channels showcase production design for a range of artists, and two projects in particular illustrate the scale and ambition of their practice.

In 2019, they designed the lighting for Friendly Fires at the Roundhouse in Camden, creating what one reviewer described as a show that “switched up through a rainbow of colours whilst remaining sleek and contemporary in design.” The production was part of the band’s return after an eight-year hiatus, and the lighting played a central role in translating the energy of a new album into a live experience.

In 2023, Matthew Kemp led the lighting and production design for Sparks on their UK and European tour. Covered in detail by TPi Magazine, the production centred on some 200 Astera Titan Tubes arranged to evoke what Kemp described as an “8-bit”, neon-inflected aesthetic. The challenge was to create a show that could travel in a single truck and be operated by one person on site, while still delivering a design distinctive enough to define the tour’s visual identity. It was a project that required creativity and logistical precision in equal measure.

Awards, events, and broadcast

More recently, Quantum Creative delivered the production design for the Rolling Stone UK 2025 Awards at the Roundhouse. Hosted by Danny Dyer, with live performances from Myles Smith and Noel Hogan among others, it was one of the UK music industry’s flagship events of the year. The fact that Rose Bruford graduates were behind the production design for a ceremony of that profile speaks to the level at which Quantum Creative now operates.

Their events and broadcast work extend well beyond music. Quantum Creative’s portfolio includes corporate events for brands including Honda and broadcast production for Channel 5. Their website showcases work across an unusually wide range of contexts, from theatrical spectaculars to immersive experiences and high-profile brand activations. It is the kind of versatility that comes from three designers who are comfortable working across disciplines, not locked into a single specialism.

Three people, one practice

What makes Quantum Creative unusual is not just the breadth of the work but the structure behind it. In an industry dominated by solo freelancers, Kemp, Bruce and Lott chose to build a formal creative partnership straight out of university. They share a studio, a workflow, and a philosophy that places collaboration at the centre of everything they do.

Their approach combines creative production design with full technical delivery: concept, pre-visualisation, and on-site implementation. It is a model that allows them to take a project from a conversation with a client through to the moment the lights come up, with three complementary perspectives shaping every decision along the way.

That partnership is now approaching its tenth year. The studio they operate from in Surrey, close to the south London border, is their creative hub and a space where they host sessions with collaborators and clients. For a company that began at a graduate exhibition stand, it is a remarkable trajectory.

What this means for students

For anyone considering a career in lighting, video, or production design, Quantum Creative’s story is worth paying attention to. It demonstrates that a degree in Creative Lighting Control can lead not only to employment but to entrepreneurship, and not only in theatre but across the full spectrum of live performance, broadcast, and events.

It also shows something harder to teach: that the relationships formed during training can become the foundation of a lasting professional practice. A partnership that began in the studios of Rose Bruford College has, ten years later, become a company with an international reach and a reputation for creative excellence. We are proud of Matthew, Andrew and Joe, and we look forward to seeing what the next decade brings.

Find out more

Explore Quantum Creative’s full portfolio at quantumcreative.co.uk and follow them on Instagram at @quantum_creative.

Find out more about studying BA (Hons) Creative Lighting Control at Rose Bruford College.